The silly season is upon us and you’re already dreaming about the parties, the presents and of course the Christmas food! The only downside is that this indulgence can take a toll on your digestive system, leading to bloating, gastrointestinal discomfort and an imbalance in your gut microbiome (the bacteria living in your digestive tract). So, if you’re worried you’ll get more gas than gifts or more heartburn than ham, read below for our top tips to beat the bloat and ‘Christmas-proof’ your digestive tract.
1. Manage stress
Chronic stress can impact normal digestive processes such as the secretion of gastric juices and enzymes required to break down food. Stress can also result in alterations in your gut microbiome¹ - all of which may contribute to digestive discomfort. Although Christmas can be a demanding time, optimise digestion by taking time to rest and digest. Sit down to eat, take a few deep breaths and take the time to chew your food properly. Remember to manage stress by getting optimal sleep (aim for 8 hours), exercise (try 30 minutes daily) and make time to relax (even if for just 15 minutes before bedtime).
2. Defend your digestion with a probiotic
To arm your gut before the silly season, consider taking Inner Health Digestive Defence which contains the evidence-based probiotic strain, Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. Extensive research has shown that this specific probiotic strain can support the healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut, aid digestion, and relieve bloating and wind.² ³ ⁴ This may help to prepare your digestive tract against these annoying digestive complaints over the Christmas period.
3. Soothe the stomach with GutGard®
If festive food triggers heartburn or indigestion, or this is brought on by the stressful period over Christmas, consider taking Inner Health Heartburn HP. It contains two probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (BB-12®) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG®), along with a special liquorice extract known as 'GutGard®’.The combination of these ingredients helps to target the real source^ of heartburn and manage the symptoms by nourishing the stomach microbiome and maintaining digestive health.⁵
Perhaps you might like to leave Inner Health digestive health probiotics range out for Santa on Christmas eve - who knows how his poor gut might feel after all the milk and cookies left out for him!
^Heartburn HP supports stomach function which is important to relieve symptoms of heartburn.
References
¹ Zhang H, Wang Z, Wang G, et al. Understanding the connection between gut homeostasis and psychological stress. J Nutr. 2023;153(4):924-939. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.01.026
² Ducrotté P, Sawant P, Jayanthi V. Clinical trial: Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (DSM 9843) improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. World J Gastroenterol. 2012;18(30):4012-4018. doi:10.3748/wjg.v18.i30.4012
³ Johansson ML, Nobaek S, Berggren A, et al. Survival of Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843 (299v), and effect on the short-chain fatty acid content of faeces after ingestion of a rose-hip drink with fermented oats. Int J Food Microbiol. 1998;42(1-2):29-38. doi:10.1016/s0168-1605(98)00055-5
⁴ Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka K, Daca A, Folwarski M, Witkowski JM, Bryl E, Makarewicz W. The role of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v in supporting treatment of selected diseases. Cent Eur J Immunol. 2020;45(4):488-493. doi:10.5114/ceji.2020.101515
⁵ Cheng J, Ouwehand AC. Gastroesophageal reflux disease and probiotics: a systematic review. Nutrients. 2020;12(1):132. doi:10.3390/nu12010132
